A Pleasant Curse
by Formazine
Summary: what happens when scotty and mccoy go behind the captians back to help an alien on the ship?


`A Pleasant Curse

By Formazine

Disclaimer: I do not own any star trek characters in this story, it was just written for everyone's enjoyment.

The Starship Enterprise eased through the vast openness of the cosmos barely disturbing the smallest particle of space as they breezed along. The starship and crew had been thirteen months into their five year mission and were so thrilled to find the universe a wonderfully, magnificent place, brimming with new and never before known interests. In the engineering section a serious discussion was in progress.

"Nae, Len, absolutely not."

"I can't do it alone, Scotty."

"Now, look 'ere, Len, I will'na be a party t' ye folly. Th' Capt'n is sure t' find 'er, 'en when he does, there'll be 'ell ta pay."

"Scotty, you've got to help me. Didn't I get you off the hook when you got . . . a wee bit snockered on Billoc?" McCoy was hitting below the belt here with his guilt-trip-bribery, because he had supplied the illegal alcohol they'd used to get bombed. "Jim would'a busted you to a petty officer if I hadn't fed him a protective line of bull . . . and you know it too."

Scotty reluctantly agreed with a grunt.

"And, I'll bet you can recall another little problem I got you out of on Star base 9. Remember that one?"

"Aye . . . aye . . . but . . ."

"And . . . what about that sweet, young lady on that old . . ."

"All right, all right, Len. I kin see yer goin' ta dredge up every wee bit of trouble I've ever had. I'll help ye wi' Yushu. If we should, by some quirk of fate, manage t' gi' away wi' this, I want me slate washed clean fer it. Di ye kin?"

"Aye, Lad, I do." McCoy grinned wide and then chuckled with his success.

"Och! Jim's goin' t' skin us alive."

"C'mon, Scotty, what Jim doesn't know, won't hurt us. Anyway, I think she's getting sick' and that worries me." McCoy hurried out of the engineering section, closely followed by Montgomery Scott. After a lengthy ride in the lift, the two emerged on level 18, aft section, storage.

"Len, yer nae goin' t' tell me ye've hidden her doon 'ere?"

"O.K., I won't tell yuh." McCoy hurried through the doors, down the third column of storage and into a far back room. There, lying on a make-shift couch was the young alien girl. She was ill; that much could be seen at a glance. Her color was much paler than usual, and since she had naturally silver-colored long hair, her skin now looked like a February snow storm.

Dr. McCoy quickly knelt beside her. He ran his medi-scan over her. "What's the matter, Yushu? When did all this happen?" Gentle concern could be heard in his voice, underlining the mock scolding.

The young girl remained silent and still. McCoy read the scanner and then looked ominously up at Scotty who was leaning over his shoulder. Scotty slowly stood up. He recognized the look.

"She has 116 degrees temp and rising . . . and . . . Scotty, she's sweating profusely!" His voice held obvious amazement.

Scotty glanced at the Pariban princess and back again to the doctor. Not being a medical man, he did not realize the significance of what McCoy had said. "Is that bad . . . for her, I mean?"

"Bad! Scotty," McCoy said in an exasperated voice, "Yushu is a Pariban with a high fever and the sweats at the same time. It's biologically impossible for her race. They don't have enough bodily fluids to sweat normally and with a fever . . . "He shook his head sadly.

"Well, as ye said, she's a Pariban. Maybe 'tis different wi' them in more ways than ye know."

"Of course, they're different, but . . . " McCoy was reading his hypo as he spoke, "I know and understand them quite well and these symptoms she is exhibiting are not the norm, far from it." The doctor injected Yushu's arm.

She moaned in delirium. McCoy couldn't help thinking about when she had helped him on her planet's surface when he had been stung by the tiny walnut sized patmi. They were poisonous to his system and if she hadn't helped him, he would be dead now. As he smoothed his hand across her forehead, he could still hear her saying, "I am careful person, Makoi." A tiny half-smile touched the corner of his lips. Now that he thought about it, she had looked like a tiny, lost child when he'd first seen her, even if he did think she was a young male. No one could have known Yushu was a Pariban princess, dressed as she had been. She was wearing long black pants that fit her legs closely and a long Kichi, or dress shirt to cover her body with a large colorful wrap around her head in disguise. Dressing as a man, for a woman, on her planet was a capitol offense, hence the reason McCoy decided to try and help her.

Suddenly, breaking the silence, Uhura's voice came over the intercom. "Com. Scott, report to the bridge, please. Commander Scott."

The two men exchanged a worried look. "Just a wee moment, Len." Scotty stepped outside the small room and across the large area to the intercom on the wall. He touched the button and said, "Scott, 'ere."

"Scotty," the captain's voice answered, "what are you doing in storage?"

". . . Uh . . . just . . .uh . . . lookin' for a wee technical journal, Capt'n."

"Dare I hope it's that same wee technical journal that I asked you to find for me about, ah, seven months ago?"

"Sairtainly, Capt'n, the verra same."

"Whew!" McCoy wiped his hand across his forehead in relief, unknowingly a bit premature.

"I have a few moments break, Scotty, and I could stand to stretch my legs," the Captain continued. "I"ll be right down and give you a hand. I'd really like to read that particular journal. Kirk out."

"But, Sir," Scotty's protest trailed off unheard by his esteemed leader.

"Scotty, what the devil do we do now?" McCoy demanded, panic evident in his tone of voice.

"We dinna 'ave time ta move 'er. Just stay in the room and I'll keep 'em busy out 'ere."

"I don't like it, but we don't have any choice, I guess." McCoy started to shut the door.

"Ye'd better lock it, just in case," Scotty whispered.

McCoy nodded in agreement. "Right." He locked the door after it swooshed shut.

Scotty hurried over to the disc storage section and began, in earnest, to search for the manual the captain wanted. He had meant to find it for him months ago, but he just hadn't gotten around to it.

The door opened and Captain James T. Kirk came into the room and over to the engineer. "Find it yet, Scotty?"

"Not just yet, Sir."

"It shouldn't be that hard to find." Kirk too, began to search the files. "Oh, by the way, Scotty, Spock tells me we have one more body on board than we're supposed too. Seen anybody around you that you don't recognize?"

Scotty cleared his throat before he answered. "Nae, I have'na. Is this . . . body an, alien?" Scotty asked innocently.

"Spock's checking that out now. It'll help to know what we're looking for, and possibly where we might have picked up this stowaway."

Scotty's spine prickled when he heard Uhura's voice over the intercom once again.

"Dr. McCoy, please report to the bridge. Dr. McCoy."

Scotty stopped his search and stood stock still, holding his breath. He knew McCoy would, by regulations, be required to answer the hale, and there was no intercom inside the small room.

_'This is it!'_ He thought, '_We've 'ad it now. 'T Capt'n's bound ta find out.'_

"Scotty?" the captain asked. He was concerned for his friend because Scotty had gone pale and looked quite ill.

"Uh . . . nae . . . nae, Sir, nothin' is wrong, Capt'n."

Once again the offending intercom said, "Dr. McCoy, report to the bridge. Dr. McCoy!"

The storage room door slid open and the doctor stepped out. He nodded at the two of them standing on either side as he headed for the wall to answer the call.

Uhura's sweet voice sounded another time, and it had an urgent ring to it now. "Dr. McCoy, report to the bridge immediately, please."

"Bones, what were you doing in," Kirk began to say pointing at the door that the doctor had just come from.

McCoy looked back over his shoulder at the Captain of the Enterprise as he reached for the intercom button and said, "Just a minute, Jim; they're calling me." He pressed the key. "McCoy here."

"Oh, doctor, we have an emergency in sickbay that needs your attention. Ensign Donaldson has had an accident. He has a badly fractured ankle, and he may have a concussion. Shall I relay orders, Sir?"

"No, Uhura, I'm on my way. McCoy out." He punched the key to off.

"Bones, what the devil are you . . . ?"

"Sorry Jim, you heard." He motioned to the wall. "I'm needed in sickbay."

"But,"

"Capt'n," Scotty interrupted, "here's t' journal ye wanted." The engineer stood, grinning and holding in his hand the technical journal for which they had been searching.

Kirk took the small, yellow disc. "Thanks, Scotty." When he turned again to look at McCoy, it was to discover the doctor had already left the room.

"Well, I'll be," muttering as he looked to Scotty. "What do yuh s'pose he was doing down here?"

"I dinna kin, sir. Maybe he just wanted some real privacy. That wee, bare room is just a'boot th' only place one is nae likely to be interrupted on this whole ship." Scotty grinned and shrugged.

Kirk looked at the closed door of the small room, considering. "Well, maybe you're right, Scotty; maybe you're right."

They turned and left the storage area together. Scotty was heartily resisting the urge to wipe the sweat beads from his own forehead.

Approximately an hour later Scotty was moving quickly and, he hoped, unobserved along the corridor on his way to sickbay isolation. Rounding a corner he ran into Cadet Uhura.

"Scotty," she said eyeing the bag he carried, "what have you got there?" She smiled and motioned to a rather large, cumbersome-looking duffle bag that lay over his shoulder.

"Och, Lass. Tis just some equipment fer the sickbay that I promised to bring up fer th' good doctor. Excuse me." He started to step around her.

"But, what kind of equipment?" She quickly barred his way.

"I . . . dinna kin, Lass. I just promised to bring it up to t' sickbay 'en that's what I'm doin'. If ye'll let me pass. It's a wee bit heavy." He smiled quickly and started to continue his journey.

Again she barred his path. "Oh, sorry," sounding disappointed, "I thought it might be something new and exciting. It's getting a little slack around here for something to do since we broke orbit around Pariba."

"Nae, excuse me, Lass. I need ta hurry."

This time she let him pass, but she heard a slight, distinctive moaning sound. She turned and started to say something, but hesitated and just watched him hurry away instead. _'Now I wonder just what that character has in that bag. Maybe I'll go see_, she thought.

She knew he was heading for sickbay so she simply stepped into the next available lift and headed to the crafty McCoy's territory.

Finally in isolation, McCoy joined Scotty and between them they took Yushu from the bag and placed her onto a diagnostic table.

Uhura was standing in the interim between doors to the ward having quietly eased inside. "Well," she drawled, "imagine this, would you?"

With a startled, guilty look, both men turned quickly to face her.

"Uhura! What are ye doin' 'ere?"

McCoy added, "Don't you know what an isolation ward is for? You shouldn't be in here."

"Yes, I know what an isolation ward is for; doctor and I also know that you two would not be in here without anti-com scrubs if you thought she had anything dangerous to humans. That girl is a Pariban and I know she's not supposed to be off her planet. What's she doing here?" She folded her arms in front of herself and stood with a look of determination on her face that both men recognized. She wasn't going to budge until she had some answers.

"Cadet Uhura," Scotty began in an aggravated voice only to be cut off by McCoy.

"It's just as well, Scotty." He walked over to Uhura, and placing his arm around her shoulders, he started telling her the tale of Yushu. He could readily see the help Uhura could be in keeping Yushu's where-a-bouts secret.

Scotty mumbled, "Och, what a tangled web we weave . . ."

Shortly between the three of them, they had Yushu into and out of an isolation water chamber where they ran tepid water over her until her fever dropped several degrees. McCoy was amazed at how much better she looked and acted.

Yushu was quite embarrassed by the fact that she was disrobed before these two human males, and told them so in no uncertain terms. The doctor and engineer were both wearing translators in the hopes that Yushu would improve and be able to speak to them. Yushu's eyes were still hazy with the illness affecting her, but she was definitely communicating now. They hastily stepped out of the chamber to allow Uhura to help Yushu dry off and put on a sickbay gown. When finished the two emerged and Uhura helped Yushu to the bed.

"Now young lady, you rest there for a while." McCoy was taking vital signs as he spoke, for he was still baffled about her seemingly rapid recovery. "Yushu was that illness something that you can tell me about? I don't recall anything like it on Pariba."

She shook her head negatively. "I do not know of such an illness, Mac Koi. It strange is to me."

"You were a sick girl, Yushu and I can't believe how fast you got better after such a high fever. How are you feeling now?"

"Better, much." She smiled. "I can consume a bleekie pattie . . . should some still remain left with your appetite." She was teasing the good doctor about the amount of food he ate as the two of them hiked across the Pariban countryside.

"You don't need bleekie patties. You do need some soup. Some nourishing, vitamin-filled soup to help you get stronger. You're still weak, and you're running a low-grade fever even now."

"I'll go get her some thing to, ah drink," Uhura said, glancing at McCoy. She leaned over the bed. "I'm Penda Uhura and I'll see you get some good soup." She grinned at the girl.

"Thank you, drink I could." Yushu did not know who the lovely female humanwas, or this soup of which she spoke, but she was very glad to be alive, to be off Pariba and to have friends.

Dr. McCoy decided to keep her in a single private isolation room in sickbay until he was certain she was improving.

Meanwhile, back on the bridge:

"Plot a course back to Pariba, Mr. Sulu. It seems a plague has broken out and is killing those people at an alarming rate. They have no idea from where it originates or why, or what it is; however, it is definitely taking countless lives." Kirk shifted to a more comfortable position in his command chair. Anytime the Enterprise was called upon for an emergency mission his adrenalin began to quicken. "Well, Bones," he said to no one in particular, "You're on again."

"Course plotted and laid in, Sir."

"Good. Execute, Mr. Sulu."

"Aye, Sir."

"Well, Spock," the captain said as he swung around to face his first officer, "we could encounter some hostility on Pariba. The report said that a rebel faction is blaming us for the illness."

"That is illogical." Spock barely lifted his head from his viewer to answer.

"Illogical or not, that's the way it is. Have you found our stowaway yet?"

Spock straightened and turned to look at him. "I have, Captain."

Kirk's eyebrows rose quickly as he moved his head forward in question. "And?"

"The stowaway is a female Pariban, Sir, currently secluded in an isolation ward in sickbay."

Kirk's mouth fell open in surprise. His expression quickly changed to suspicion and then anger as he jumped up saying, "Mr. Spock, you have the con." He hurried toward the lift.

"All right," the captain placed his hands on the edge of the desk before him in his own cabin and gently seated himself as he continued, "what-is-she-doing-here?"

McCoy, Scotty and, the as yet innocent, Uhura stood on the other side of his desk with heads bowed in shame. McCoy began, "It was the only way, Jim."

"Only way? ONLY WAY! Why was it the only way?"

Scotty swallowed gingerly as he correctly read an, _I'm going to bust you people_ _down as far as I can,_ look in the captain's eye.

McCoy suddenly stiffened and acquired a determined look of his own. "Jim, they were going to kill her. I just had to bring her on board. Don't you see?" He lifted his hands for emphasis.

"NO! I don't see. Do you have any idea what kind of a position you've put me in? Do you? For Serkin's sake, Bones! How could you?" He glanced at Scotty and Uhura in turn. "I've been betrayed and . . . by the most trusted of my . . ." The captain started to pace. "Well, this makes clear the rule to never get too close to your crew."

"Oh, that's Mugato muffins, Jim, and you know it. You've done as much yourself." McCoy had just realized that he was, after all, doing something quite humane, and if he had to spend the rest of his life in a brig somewhere, it was worth it to save a life. "Yushu's life was in danger. She had a death sentence put on her just because she didn't want to marry the Yerdah prince. Is that fair?"

Captain Kirk flopped down in his chair and placed his head in his hands with elbows on the desk and moaned a barely audible sound.

"Well, I ask you, is it?" McCoy added as he looked quickly at his two co-horts.

Uhura and Scotty sadly shook their heads negatively.

"That's not the question, Bones. The question is; do we have the right, legal, moral or any other wise, to remove a condemned prisoner form a planet? Especially a new member of the Federation? Also, what about the non-interference directive? No . . . Bones, no."

McCoy leaned his body over the desk. "Would you have left her there to be killed?"

Jim Kirk looked deep into the still, blue eyes that belonged to a friend and swallowed, frowned and snorted, almost in the same uneasy moment. "I am . . . going to punish you all," as he looked decidedly at each in turn, "but, it will have to wait. We're at warp 5 headed for Pariba."

McCoy started to protest, but Kirk held up his hand to stop the tirade.

"They have a plague, a bad one, that's killing the populous. You need to get busy, Bones, and try to discover what it is as soon as we're in orbit. And, it's not going to be that easy. The Grand Yerdah has decided that we're the cause of their problems and some of them will undoubtedly give us problems."

"I think I may have a plague specimen case right here in my sickbay, Jim. Yushu is quite ill, and I can't put a label on her illness." McCoy was suddenly certain that Yushu's sickness wasn't something she caught after coming aboard the Enterprise. It must be the same plague. "I'll need to run tests here on Yushu and on her people, atmosphere, and environment, everything down there."

"Aye, 'en I kin help ye, Leonard."

"Aye," Kirk said sarcastically, "that ye kin, Scotty, and you too, Uhura, but don't forget, when this is over . . . "he let the sentence hang; his meaning was clear.

"This isn't fair." Uhura raised her arm and moved it in a semi-circle, indicated the emptied area surrounding herself and the others of the landing party. "If this isn't punishment enough, I don't know what is. Besides, I didn't do anything." She reached up toward her face and hit the front of her sep-suit, "Crap, I can't even scratch my nose."

"Ah, Penda, Jim knew you would have helped anyway and that's what has him so tense. He wouldn't let that girl be killed either and we all know that." McCoy adjusted his sep-suit helmet once again. "I hate this thing too and we don't even need it. I've already been here. Jim is just letting us know whose is the Captain."

"Len, we dinna know if it's contagious 'er nae, 'en I, fer one, dinna wish to take a chance. Ye seen how sickly t' wee lass 'as bin."

"If we were going to catch it, we would have already. This order of Jim's, about these suits, is pure cussedness. As soon as I have a chance to test all the possibilities down here, we'll be able to get rid of these extra skins."

Dr. McCoy was completely stumped on this disease. Every test he ran came back inconclusive. This disease fit no pattern, no symptomatology. He hoped, here on the planet, he could find the chemical or product that had activated this horrid illness.

The rest of the landing party had beamed down and they all began the trek toward the center of the royal city. As they rounded the corner of a hundred foot high natural stone plateau they realized why they had not met any resistance. The quiet, little city was seemingly deserted with the exception of a few carts carrying the dead. The reality and horror of this disease and its effects became stark, bold truth as the vision of hundreds of Quetre and Yerdah lay strewn about the central courtyard. Some were dead and more were dying. The stench was atrocious for there were more bodies rotting on the pavement, in doorways and in the front of the shops than the small carts could carry. Some of the more healthy occupants were driving the carts pulled by the Histi, a bovine animal used for agriculture and carrying the bodies from the city.

Suddenly a horrid scream rippled through the air, and McCoy felt a shiver of apprehension run the length of his spine. He recognized the sound.

"Dr. McCoy, what was that?" Lt. Jamison one of the security guards asked, his green eyes wide in expectation. The screaming sound was not unlike a horrified woman and the sound a selat makes on the planet Vulcan mixed together.

"It's an Ojoshet. A huge beast. A man-eater out there in the forest." He indicated the top of the city walls where sat 40 to 70 giant, fanged birds. "Those big mahssii are what we need to worry about. The ojoshet probably won't come this close to so many people but the mahssii are like earth buzzards, scavengers, and their prey doesn't even have to be dead."

Lt. Jamison's eyes scanned the birds perched on the high topped edge of the rock wall. He watched, feeling his stomach turn over, as a mahssii swooped down, snatched a victim from the ground in his great talons and flew away, barely disturbing the dust. "That's amazing! How did he do that so quick?"

"Jamison, run those things off the walls. We can, at least, do that." Dr. McCoy hated waste and that's what a plague was to him. The beautiful silver-haired people of Pariba were no longer tall, proud and wonderfully whimsical. They were weak, green in color, bent and sickly. The beings were desperate and he was no closer to the cure.

Jamison and Jacques both drew their weapons and fired randomly at the giant birds and killed approximately 20 or more before the rest flew away.

The landing party headed for the royal palace. They soon discovered that the rule of Pariba had passed from the High Yerdah, who had won his rebellion, to his son, the intended mate of Yushu. But, alas, he too had succumbed to the terrible plague. The only royal family left was Yushu's family, and her father was quite ill.

Yushu's father, the High Quetre Altfre, lasted long enough to speak to McCoy but he knew nothing of the disease. Therefore he wasn't much help to the doctor. McCoy did learn that Yushu was now absolute ruler of all Pariba. Being of the royal line, her condemned sentence would be lifted and she raised to the highest level. Dr. McCoy related this information to nurse Chapel who, in turn, told Yushu.

Medical skills on Pariba were practically archaic in comparison to McCoy's knowledge, even so, he was nearly as helpless to care for them. The doctor set about his search for the nasty little blighter that had caused this calamity.

Not unlike McCoy, Spock had already studied all the information Enterprise computer data banks had on the planet of Pariba, and he was now on the planet surface in the archives continuing his research. This study, however, would take considerably more time since it would be necessary to scan the words himself instead of relying on a computer readout. He searched for anything not the norm in this world, for McCoy and the Vulcan had now determined that nothing indigenous to Pariba had caused this disease. The search would become much more complicated now for the cause might not be known to anyone. Methodically, they searched on for the cause of this horrid affliction.

"I have a great need to return to Pariba, Christine."

"Well, yes, I . . . ah . . . certainly with the death of your family members, I'm certain you do want to return, but,"

"No, want to is incorrect. I have to. I am ruler with the High Yerdah and High Quetre both gone. It is necessary I return now." The princess was adamant.

"I don't think Dr. McCoy is going to want you to down there. You've just now begun to feel well and we don't even know why you were sick as yet."

"It matters not. I must go." Yushu crossed her arms and lay back in the bad.

"Yushu, you are just now recovering from this disease and to go back now would put you in danger of being infected again. That might be worse than the first bout and you could die as well."

"I have said, it matters not! I have a duty to return. You must tell Mackoi this."

Knowing better than to argue, Christine smiled as she said, "Well, I'll see what he says, but don't hold your breath." Chris headed for McCoy's office. She thought it better to argue with him, without Yushu to hear.

Yushu eased off her sickbay bed, wondering why she should want to hold her breath, and quietly left the ward. Chris Chapel had earlier gotten her a jumpsuit to wear and equipt her belt with a translator with the thought to improve her spirits if she could walk around and talk to the crew.

Yushu felt sure that Makoi, as she called him, would not want her on the planet. She was also aware that his orders were carried out to the letter. "He is good leader," she mumbled to herself as she eased out into the corridor, "my place it is, and I must go."

Just off to her right, a door swooshed open, and Sulu, the very nice navigator, stepped out into the corridor. He glanced at her and smiled in greeting. "Yushu, you look great." He took in her blue jumpsuit and bare toe-less feet. "Doc let you loose?"

"Ah, if you refer to Makoi, yes, yes he loosed me." She grinned nervously, "I go to the, ah, beam down place." She started walking again.

"The transporter room?" He fell in step with her.

"Yes, transporter room. I to beam down quickly."

"Oh, of course, your family." The Enterprise grapevine was in good working order as per usual, and Sulu figured she was being allowed to attend the services. "Let me walk along to say goodbye. I'm certainly glad to see you're feeling so much better. You were really sick for a while."

Yushu looked at Sulu with a _how-do-you-know-that look_, since he had only met her for the first time yesterday.

He quickly explained, "Uhura told me."

"Indeed," she said, entering the transporter room.

Jeri Dawson was on duty and she smiled at the two when they entered.

"Pariba's main palace in Totil, Mr. Dawson," Sulu said, half teasingly.

"Aye, sir," she answered with a quick assumption that Sulu had orders to this effect. She set the co-ordinates.

Sulu helped Yushu to the pad; he was surprised at the strange sensation that washed over him when her 3 fingered and 3 thumbed right hand touched his. In an instant, he had a feeling of apprehension, joy, relief and, contentment, and it all seemed to emanate from Yushu's touch. Sulu couldn't shake the feeling that he had just pulled off something slick and was proud, but he didn't know what. He released her hand and stepped back down from the platform. "May you have peace and long life, Yushu."

She smiled, clapped her hands and quickly held them upright. "A soft and pleasant curse on thee, Sulu. Long life and happiness should be yours." Sulu nodded at Dawson and Yushu disappeared. Sulu shook his head, chuckled and said, "Paribans are a truly peculiar race, Jeri, a truly peculiar race."

As he turned to go he heard Jeri mumble," I'd like to know how anyone could point out 'peculiar' on board this ship?"

After many hours of painstaking searching through old parchments and documents, Spock had discovered an abnormality. According to the writings, there was a legend of a star that fell from the sky more than 160 years ago, and it had landed on the top of Mount Lexis, the highest escarpment on the planet Pariba. There it had given light to the sky above it for 14 years, and then the God's had become fatigued and darkened the evening light in order to rest. According to legend the light would return one day and Pariba would prosper with the favor of the God's once again. The legend was old and sketchy but Spock began to check the happenstance of this era and found it worth a closer look. Hence, the landing party of Kirk, Spock, Chekov and two security guards now stood on the top of a very large plateau. The ship's sensors had discovered a metallic object nearly buried in a covering of natural plant growth and debris.

All of the men were relieved that McCoy had finally ascertained that the disease would not harm them, and they could dispense with the sep-suits. They walked nearer to the overgrown mound and found a small opening, resembling a cave entrance.

"Stand back," Kirk ordered. He drew his phaser and fired at the area. In so doing, he cleared the debris away revealing the permanently jarred door of a small space ship. "This is interesting. What kind of ship would you say this is, Spock?"

The Vulcan edged inside with his tri-corder and looked around the ancient hull. After a brief study of his tri-corder's readings, he straightened and turned toward Kirk. "Klingon, Captain," he reported.

"Klingon?"

"From the writing, here, and here on the nameplate," Spock motioned Kirk inside the ship. "I would estimate that it is 150 to 160 years old and is probably the source of the lighting of the sky which the Paribans believed to have been Gods. It is a one-man vessel, and it does show evidence of a crash landing. Further observation," he pointed toward a flat wall with hand carved markings on it, "would suggest the Klingon survived the crash and lived here unable to get down from the plateau for many years."

"Is it possible that some sort of chemical leak or emission into the atmosphere from this wreck could have caused the disease?"

"There are numerous possibilities, Captain. That is a reasonable assumption, however. I will need more time to analyze any findings that have remained. It could take a considerable amount of time."

"Time is something those people down there have in short supply, Spock. Do your best to hurry."

Spock nodded in agreement and Kirk went back outside to look around. As he stepped out Chekov yelled, "Keptin! Over here!"

The captain hurried over to his officer. "What is it, Pavel?"

"This pool, Sir, it must hav been vhere someone spent many hours. Look." He edged down solid rock which slopped downward toward a beautifully clear, clean, turquoise colored pool of water. Decorating the smooth-slopping rock were hand-painted murals of people and places unknown to the members of the landing party, although the creatures in them resembled Klingons.

"Get it all recorded, Pavel. Maybe there's a clue in it somewhere."

"Oh, sair, this is an archaeologist's dream. Vhat a find!"

Kirk looked at Chekov and the glow of admiration for his discovery on his face. "Bones is right; Spock is rubbing off on you." His communicator beeped, drawing his attention; he flipped it open. "Kirk here."

"Captain," Scotty's voice continued with a familiar warning to it, "ye've been ordered t' get humans off the planet, and ye' report t' the capital city buildin' by the High Uteri Altfre, . . . Yushu herself."

"Yushu! Wait a minute. I left her on the ship in sickbay. She's a condemned fellen. How in the devil did she end up the complete ruler, and besides…we have permission of Leamoul, the Council head."

"That was 22 hours ago, sir. Leamouol 'as since succumbed t' tha disease en Yushu managed t'..ah…beam doon. She's well now, sir. We dinna kin what happened, but …she's all healed."

"When did all this happen? Has McCoy found the cure?"

"In the past few hours, sir, and no…the doctor has'na discovered what causes or cures the plague. He's in quite a snit o'er it as well. Yushu demands ye' return immediately, Captain. She says yer disturbing the Gods, 'en her 'en the Council wants ye off now."

"All right, Scotty, I'll call it off for now. Locate Spock and his party and beam them to the ship. Spock may have some information the computers and use. Beam Chekov and myself to the capital building in the center of town. I want to talk to Yushu myself."

"Aye, Captain."

Twenty minutes later, Kirk and Chekov stood in front of the throne where Yushu sat, staring at them with the long practiced gaze of royalty who has been displeased.

"Kneel before me!" She commanded. "NOW!"

The two men glanced at each other and with a slight shrug from Kirk, they went down on one knee.

"Yush . . . "

"Quiet!" Yushu interrupted the captain. "I did not allow for thee to speak." She slowly raised only her eyes and looked toward the top of the walls on both sides, then back at them.

Kirk was certain that there was more going on here than what it appeared. He too, glanced upward at the walls and noticed that a small protrusion such as a tube was directed at them. Now Yushu's attitude toward them was beginning to make since. Evidently they would be killed if they said or did anything that did not have an approval.

"Has Makoi found my people's sickness reason?"

"Not as yet, Your Majesty, but he is close and working very hard. If he can be allowed to continue, I believe he will find a solution soon."

"You have disturbed our holy place and must receive punishment for doing this." She waived her hand and four guards immediately appeared on either side of them. Their weapons and communicators had been taken at the door. Captain Kirk still had his translator on his belt fortunately.

"My council advisers are of the belief that our sickness is because of the humans who have disturbed the Gods."

"But . . . " Kirk began.

"Do not speak. I wish not to hear your sounds now. Take them away."

Each between two warriors were escorted to the outside and around behind the main building and there were numerous caves with huge iron gates for doors. They were tossed into one of them and the door slammed shut.

"This is just great!" Kirk said disgustedly. "Just great."

"Mr. Spock may have some information soon."

"We can only hope so."

"I hope so werry much, Captain," Chekov muttered at he gazed through the bars at the back of the small cave they were in.

Kirk stepped over there and realized that they were heating up odd-shaped irons. "I don't even want to ask what that is for."

"It looks very old."

Kirk starred at the rods momentarily and then added, "Yes, very old. About 19th century earth during the cowboy era, I believe. They were used to brand cattle."

"Cattle? Oh, you mean the Histi 've saw as 've came 'en." He stretched to look around the inter compound. "I do not see any such animals."

"I doubt that this is where they would brand the Histi. I have a sinking feeling that they are used as punishment."

Chekov turned toward Kirk with an astonished look on his face. "How long do you think the Enterprise vill take to beam us out of here?"

"A while, Chekov. Spock said that the rock on this planet is lined throughout with geological oddities that would certainly make it difficult for the scans to penetrate. They can't find us in here." He turned his attention to the walls and doors looking for escape. "However, by now they probably know we are captives."

The Captain was correct. The Enterprise had received a message that some of their crew were being held for punishment.

McCoy came out of the lift and headed for Spock where he leaned over his station working. "You are right, Spock. The ancient Klingon ship is emitting liquid garbage in the drinking water. That is what is causing the plague. It has taken this long for it to become toxic."

Spock straightened and looked at the doctor. "You are certain?"

"Yep, the Klingon's are killing these people just as sure as if they had landed in the middle of the town square. I'm sure they'd be proud."

"I fail to see the hummer in a dire situation, Doctor."

"I always figure, yuh may as well laugh as cry." He shrugged and smiled. "Anyway I can cure the sick and we can fix the water now."

"That is possible. We now have a problem of getting the Captain and Chekov back on board."

"What?"

"The Queen Yerdah, Yushu, has taken them captive in order to punish them for the plague. The planet does not respond to our hails."

"Oh, that's no problem. Yushu is a friend of mine. I'll take a shuttle down and go explain it to her."

"That is a possibility. Astute thinking for a physician. It is a workable plan. The planet has no sensors and if the shuttle goes in just before dawn, it is likely they will not detect its presence." Spock stepped back to his console. "You will need to leave in one-point 2 hours. Mr. Sulu, you and two security guards will go with the doctor, phasers on stun."

"Phasers on stun? Spock, I told you, Yushu is a friend of mine. I cured her and saved her life. She will listen to me."

"She will not. She is the one who ordered the Captain's and Chekov's punishment."

"Those people are friendly. I was there for a good while."

"They are no longer friendly. You will need to go in quick and quiet. If you can talk to the Queen and change her mind, all is well. If not? You may end up in the same place as the Captain."

"I need to gather my stuff. I'll see you when we get back." McCoy winked at him, grinned and headed for the lift.

"Doctor, before you hasten out, meet me in the council room."

"What for?" McCoy asked.

"I am acting Captain and I will order it done," he turned and looked at Dr. McCoy, "if need be."

With a disgusted sigh, the doctor nodded in acceptance.

Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, and Spock sat around the council table.

"We certainly can not simply walk into the palace and ask to speak to the Queen," Spock began.

"Ah should say we dinna'. Any humans will be killed on site. They 'ave said as much."

"Dr. McCoy believes that because of his friendship to her, she will let him in . . . "

Dr. McCoy came hurrying into the room, just then, out of breath. He stopped and dropped into a chair.

"Doctor, you are late."

"Stating the obvious isn't your usual, Spock." He grinned at his own humor. "I figured you wouldn't want to go with my direct plan and I have come to a reasonable idea that just might work."

"And what might that be?"

"Simple. We can disguise someone as a female pariban and she can be given a message seemingly from the Enterprise. She must also put it in the Queen's own hand. Once a Pariban gives their word they must obey it to the letter."

They turned their heads, almost at once, toward Uhura, who straightened and her eyes grew wide. "Now, wait just a minute. That is going to require some cosmetic surgery and the last time it was very uncomfortable."

"No, no, Uhura." McCoy smiled. "I didn't mean you. I'm afraid you are a little too . . . well endowed to be a Pariban."

Scotty chimed in with, "Who then?"

"Sulu."

"Sulu!" they asked in unison and surprise.

"Yep, I can easily make him look the part. He only needs the double-fingers, a little facial construction, and the heavy long garb they all wear. I'll work." McCoy was quite pleased with himself.

"Ah, Sir, I really don't think I can . . . " Sulu began.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Sulu, it would be a solution to the problem. Please go with the doctor and get fitted for this detail."

Sulu knew Spock was not joking and that time was short. He glanced at McCoy as they rose and started out and muttered, "No one sees me and you reconstruct as soon as we return. Agreed?"

"Don't worry, Hikaru, I'm good at cosmetics."

Mr. Jamison flew the shuttle down and the rescuers were nearly to the city. Mr. Sulu complained of the inability to manage the controls because of his awkward hands. Jamison stayed with the shuttle. McCoy, Sulu, and the two guards, Randal and Spikchs had arrived. "Now, Sulu, what is your name?" McCoy asked.

"Yida. I was approached by a human who gave me this message for the Queen. Gave I my word to put it in her hand."

"Good. Now, when you get to her, out of sound of others, he could answer any questions she might have. She will most likely know you are not a Pariban, so be very careful."

"I will." Sulu straightened his frock and started walking toward the doors.

"Short steps, Sulu. Walk like you belong here." McCoy looked at the two guards and muttered, "Now we wait."

"You speak that a human gave you that for the Queen?" the guard at the doors asked.

"Yes, and I promised, I have, to put it in her hand."

He gazed at her for a long moment and finally said, "Enter."

Another guard, just inside, stepped in front of her to lead the way.

The door guard looked at the departing back of Sulu and said to no one, "Homely for one so young." He shook his head.

Inside the great hall Sulu raised his head just enough to see that the Queen was sitting on her thrown, interested in a book, or some such, in her lap. As they approached she raised her head in question.

"She has a message for you, Your Highness, from the human ship."

She raised one eyebrow, not unlike Spock's usual expression and Sulu almost laughed.

"Come near to me."

'_She really doesn't look like the same quiet little girl that was on the ship now_,' Sulu thought to himself. He stepped up and knelt on both knees, head down, as McCoy had told him to do.

"Your name?"

"Yida, Highness."

"Look at me."

He raised his face to her and she examined him closely. "You a message brought?"

"Yes."

"What did this human look like who gave you the message?"

'_I don't think this is good._' "He . . . looked . . . as a human does, my Queen."

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. Then she held out her hand. Sulu slid the small note between her fingers. She studied his hands as he did so.

'_She knows_' he thought, '_she knows_.' McCoy did a good job because as Sulu lowered his eyes to their hands he felt like they were the same race.

She stood and guards appeared from all around them. Yushu raised her hand. "Yida, with me to come. Know you, I do. You belong to the Byminy tribe, do you knot?"

"Yes, my Queen." Sulu followed along behind her.

They went through several long and beautifully decorated corridors and finally entered a grand bedroom.

She motioned for the girls to leave. Then she turned to him. "Sit."

She eased on the nearly flat to the floor bed and opened the note. Scanning it twice, she then looked at him again.

"Your feet, I will see them."

'_Ut-Oh_,' McCoy had not fixed them. He just put the small slippers worn here. She was sure to realize he was human.

"Now."

He eased his feet out from under his frock.

She smiled. "MaKoi is good. Until you spoke, I thought you a Pariban. You are the one who helped me down, correct?"

'_Oh, beam down_.' "Yes, I am Sulu."

"I can not stop the punishment," she began. "They mark them every six rolls and they must finish once began."

"Mark them? How?"

"With . . . how say you, hot rods to the back. The die not. Many paribans have been punished so and live."

"How long is it done?" Sulu asked. "What is the time of six rolls?"

"I know not how time is for you but can you not take them up as you dropped me?"

"Where are they?"

"In the caves."

"Oh, no we can't find them when they're under the rock on this planet. It's too dense."

She smiled. "When they are being marked, they are outside." She nodded. "Has Makoi found medicine for my people?"

"He is close. He will have it within hours, he said." Sulu was considering how to help the Captain and Chekov while he spoke. "Can't you tell them to stop the marks for a while? You are the Queen."

"My Minions have to agree for what I say and do. They want humans gone."

"The Enterprise will not take kindly if the Captain and Chekov should die and our skin is more fragile than yours. I am going to give you my communicator. All you need do is press this tiny button and it will send an alarm to the ship. We can know then that they are out in the open."

"Makoi must find relief for my people. They die daily, many, many." She took the communicator and slid it inside her pocket.

"He wanted to talk to you, but they watch you so closely it's probably not a good idea."

"No, but I will tell my people that soon help comes. I will speak goodly that he will find why we sick. The guards know you brought message."

"I will take you out doors. If with me, you be, they will not bother you. You must needs to walk short steps. Females do no walk large."

"Right." He smiled at her and they walked out a back door area where two of her ladies walked along with Sulu as he left her.

At the end of the lane the girls turned and left without a word and Sulu headed for the landing party.

"Please get me out of this before the Captain and Chekov return."

McCoy chuckled and began his work. "Oh, we have figured out a way to clean up the water and I have a vaccine that will work on the people, if we can get them to drink prepared water for a couple of days."

"I just hope Yushu hits that button soon. They've been down there for a good while now."

"Stop talking, I'm almost done with your hands."

"Just guess what they wanted to look at."

McCoy's eyes widened.

"Nooooo . . . she wanted to see my feet. Remember me asking if you should fix them too?"

"Yes, but it turned out all right, didn't it?"

"Hopefully."

"Chekov, you need to drink more water. You are getting dehydrated."

"Pardon me, Keptin , but that stuff is vorse than that Klingon garbage we drank once. No, thanks."

"How do your burns feel?"

"Same as yours, I expect."

"Let me put some water on them, at least." Captain Kirk suggested.

"That hurts vorse on my back than it tastes in my mouth. How many more brandings are ve going to get?"

"I don't know, but I hope we are done. It is dark out again and maybe they will quit for a while."

"They didn't last night."

"True." Kirk stretched and quickly stopped that action when the painful back made itself known. "Ouch!"

"Here, Keptin, lay down on your stomach for a while. I'll stand."

"This time, Pavel, I will take you up on your offer." He stretched out on the slab. "I am feeling . . . a bit, puny today." As he finished his statement his arm slid off onto the floor.

Pavel went to him. "Keptin," he said as she shook him gently. Kirk didn't move.

Chekov lifted his shirt to see the burns and they were completely infected; full of pus and liquid and his whole back is swollen and red. "He's burning up." Pavel had put the water on Kirk's back because he had asked for it and now he felt bad. "How long did Dr. McCoy say it took for this disease to kill someone?" He couldn't remember. "If we don't get out of here soon he may die." He heard the chains then and knew the guards were coming again.

"It is the hour of mark." One of the guards said.

"He is sick. I think he has the plague."

The guards walked over and pushed against Kirk hip with his boot. He didn't move. The guard told the other two to pick him up and bring him.

"Leave him here. He's not conscience. He's sick."

"It is the hour of mark."

"Listen, give me his mark. He will die. He can't take another one." Pavel watched as they held both arms and dragged his captain outside. They lifted him onto the marble slab and put Chekov on another. "Please, I asking you, give me his mark today. He can't take it!"

The guard with the hot iron came toward the Captain and Pavel tried again. "Please, give it to me, not him."

"Get yours, you will."

Suddenly the two men turned into sparkling particles and disappeared. Both guards were very frightened.

Just inside one of the doors a frail little female turned and hurried back up the steps to her bedroom.

A few hours passed and Yushu was resting on her bed when she heard a tiny beeping sound. It took her a few minutes to realize it was coming from her pocket. She opened it and looked closely at it. Then she heard Makoi's voice come from the small object.

"Yushu," he said in a low tone. He was hoping she was alone.

"Makoi?"

"Yes, can you speak to me? No one around you?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm on the Enterprise. I have found the plague problem. Please tell the people not to drink the water. It has become poisonous and causes the sickness. We will send down some clean water that they can drink. If they will let us we can give the medicine for the sick ones and fix the old water. Do you think we could do this?"

"I will call the Minions. They make rules."

"If they do not want us to help, you may have to TELL them what to do. You are the Queen, the leader. Right?"

"That is correct. The male leaders do not like a female here. I need to be careful."

"Just tell them if they want to be healed they will have to let us help."

"I shall try."

"When we are through talking just close the lid. If you need to talk to me or anyone on the ship, just open it again. It will beep up here and we will answer."

"I will try."

Approximately two hours later many of the Enterprise crew were on the planet with medicine and clean water distributing to the populous. Others were adding fluids to the water supply on top of the escarpment. Spock had beamed the old Klingon Ship up into space and destroyed it with phaser fire.

McCoy had come into the large room with Yushu and was discussing the goings on. Kirk and Chekov were recuperating well and the people were so grateful for the help that stopped their loved ones from dying.

"Now, how did you get the leaders to let us help so quickly, Yushu?" McCoy asked.

"It was very difficult for some while but then remembered I Yida and I opened the small box and just said her name. When she talked the leaders were all frightened and wondered how I was talking to her with her not with me. The guards said that the two prisoners had disappeared and I told them I caused them to go. They were so scarred they bowed to me and said that I was the first worthy female to rule."

"That worked out well."

"Yes, it is nice to have them listen to me. I no longer have to do what they say. You are a true friend, Makoi. Can I keep the little box?"

"When we leave we will not be able to hear if you call anymore. And I would have to check with the Captain. We are not supposed to leave anything on new planets."

"It is great power for me, Makoi."

"I know but it will be powerless when we leave. It can not speak to you anymore and that could be dangerous as well."

"They will not know it does not work. I would like to keep." She patted her pocket.

McCoy hesitated. "If you don't tell anyone from the ship that you have it; then . . . maybe I could forget that you have it. I will tell Sulu, ah, Yida not to say anything either."

She reached up and patted his cheek, the equivalent of a kiss. She smiled at him.

"I'd better get back to the ship. I'm sure the crew is finished by now and they will be looking for me. I hope all goes well with your new rule."

"I to hope so. A soft and pleasant curse on thee, Makoi. Have a long, safe journey."

"Dr. McCoy." The intercom beeped.

He walked over and touched the button. "McCoy here."

"Doctor, everyone is on board and we have received an emergency call. Are we ready to leave?"

"Yes, Spock. I will keep the Captain and Pavel here for another 24 hours to be sure they are ready for duty."

"Thank you, Doctor. Spock out."

'_I can't believe Spock didn't ask about that communicator_." McCoy pondered.

"Bones!"

"Yes, Captain," as he strolled into the sickbay area. "How are you feeling today?"

"With my fingers. How do you think I feel? I've just been branded several times. That is extremely unpleasant."

"I think you should be feeling quite well now, but before you start to ask about duty, you are going to stay here for 24 hours. So just lay back and rest."

"I feel fine. How's the planet?"

"We are warping out of this area as we speak. Spock says we have an emergency to fix somewhere."

"Then I,"

"NO! You are where you need to be for another day." He looked at Pavel. "You too, so don't even ask."

"Oh, I vasn't. How often do I get to just lie in bed and read?"

"How did your little princess find a way to get our crews down there?"

"Oh, she just put her little two-toed foot down and demanded it. She wanted her people to get well."

"As Spock says, there are always possibilities." He looked at the doctor and added, "I haven't decided just what punishment I will give to you three for this, but I won't forget it."

"You would have done the same and you know it too."

"At least, all turned out well. No one died, we have made new friends, and nothing was left behind. A fine day's work."

"Yep," McCoy said, as he walked toward the door, "Fine as frogs hair; Never Put off 'til tomorrow what you can do today; No good deed goes unpunished; and," as he rounded the corner, "What your Captain doesn't know, won't get you busted."

* * *

I hope you've all enjoyed my first fanfiction, and please review! thanks for reading!


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